Feed-motion in willoweks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS A. CALVERT, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

FEED-MOTION IN WILLOWERS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 9,670, dated April 19, 1853.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. CALVERT, of Lowell, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Villowers, and that the following description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referredto, forms a lfull and eXact specification of the same, wherein I haveset forth the nature and principles of my said improvements, by

'.which my invention may be distinguished from others of a similarclass, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured tome by Letters Patent.

The figures of the accompanying plates of drawings, represent myimprovements.

In Plate 1, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved willower. InPlate 2, Fig. 2 is a plan of my machine and Fig. 3 is a longitudinalvertical section of the same taken in the plane of the A B Fig. 2, Pl.2.

The distinguishing feature of my improvements consists in using inconnection with what is usually known as the Oldham willower, a set offeed rollers to which an intermittent motion is imparted, so as to feedthe cotton to the cleaning cylinder in allotted quantities, from time totime, and distribute it evenly over the said cylinder, by which itbecomes more quickly and thoroughly cleaned than when the said allottedquantities are fed in by hand in the way now practised. Where the cottonis fed to the machine in the manner last suggested by hand, it is apt tokeep in lumps or knots, and the action of the teeth of the cylinder andthe standing teeth over the same, has the effect to string or nib thefiber, as it is termed.

C C C C in the several drawings repre sents the framework and casing ofthe machine which incloses the cleaning cylinder. iD D Fig. 3 Pl. 2,constructed in the usual way with rows of opening teeth stretchingacross the cylinder, which teeth work with the rows of standing teeth onthe underside of the curved top piece or plate E E, in the ordinarymanner as in the Oldham willower hereinbefore referred to. The curvedmetallic grating F F F Fig. 3 is also arranged in a substantiallysimilar way to the gratings in the machines now in common use.

The cotton to be cleaned is placed on an inclinedfeeding table,consisting of an endless apron G G G stretched around the rollers H, II,as shown in Fig. 3 Pl. 2, which apron is driven by means of a gear wheelI fixed on one journal of the inner roller, I-I, that connects with agear wheel K on one journal of the lower feeding roll, through themedium of the gear pinion L properly arranged between the said gearwheels I and K.

M, N are the upper and lower fluted feed rollers which receive thecotton from t-he Aapron G G G and deliver it intermittently in certainquantities to the cylinder D D. The intermittent motion is imparted tothese feed rollers by the following described combination of mechanicalcontrivances. The two rollers are geared so as to turn together properlyby means of the gear wheels O, P fixed on their journals as sho-wn inFig. 1 Pl. 1, .the latter wheel being represented therein by dottedlines. On the extension of one journal of the lower feed roll N, isfixed a ratchet wheel Q, which is turned a certain distance at properintervals, by means 0f a curved lever R R and pawl S attached to andoperating with said lever.

This lever and pawl are moved or turned -those of the cleaning cylindersD D by means of a small gear pinion a, on one journal of said cylinderand the connecting gear wheel b and pinion c on the same shaft with saidwheel b, the teeth of which pinion c engage with those of theI wheel Vand give it its proper proportionate motion relatively to the motion ofthe cleaning cylinder, in a manner which will be readily understood byinspection of Fig. 1 Pl. l. Pressure is produced upon the feedingrollers, by means of the levers Z cl, arranged in the usual way, so asto be weighted, as shown in Fig. l Pl. 1 and Fig. 2 Pl. 2.

By the above described arrangement of the feeding rollers with thecleaning cylinder, it will be seen that while and after the said rollersare introducing and have delivered a quantity of cotton to the saidcylinder, it will revolve a number of times before another quantity isdelivered, and clean the portion first delivered as aforesaid, Which isthen ready to be discharged from the machine, and a discharging gate ec, at the back part of the machine, is opened. and closed intermittentlyfor this purpose, by the following arrangement of mechanical devices.The gate is properly hinged at the bottom and is drawn up and kept in aclosed position, by means of cords f f-f f connected to the top of saidgate and passing around the grooved pulleys g, g, on the cross shaft 71,h (having proper bearings projecting from the framework of the machine),and the eXterior grooved pulley z', also fixed on said shaft 7L h, andhaving a cord and Weight lo so arranged as that when the said shaft isfree to revolve in its bearings, said Weight shall turn it so as to Windup the cords f-f f and close the gate, in a manner which Will be readilyunderstood. rlhe opening of the said gate is effected through the mediumof the gear pinion Z on one end of the shaft h it, which With said shaftis turned so as to raise the Weight and thereby open the gate by meansof thc vibrating gear seg-1 ment m, properly suspended from the shortshaft n, projecting from the framework as shown in Fig. 2, Pl. 2. Theswinging or projection g from the underside of said rod,

and Winds the Weight up and opens the gate as aforesaid, and When thecam ceases to bear on said projection, the Weight turns the shaft 7L kand closes the gate as hereinbefore described. The opening and closingof this gate may be effected by other combinations of mechanicalcontrivances, as will be readily understood by mechanics, but this isone successful method which I have adopted.

Having thus described my improved Willower I shall state my claim asfollows.

hat I claim as my invention and desire to have secured to me by LettersPatent is.,

The combination of a set of feeding rollers and endless feeding apron,having an intermittent motion imparted to them, for the purpose hereinabove set forth, with the cleaning cylinder of a WilloWer.

FRANCIS A. CALVERT. Witnesses:

EZRA LINCOLN, Gmo. P. SANGER.

